When Amelia Dimoldenberg takes a vacation, the hotel is a destination of its own.
Between work and other commitments at home in the U.K., the “Chicken Shop Date” host – who recently announced that the show will end after more than a decade – often craves staying put after checking in.
“I went on holiday recently, and my friends all left. I was on a group holiday, and they went surfing, they went, like, out and about doing all these different things, and I refused to leave the hotel,” she told USA TODAY. “I was just by the pool, you know, having a cocktail, living life, reading my book.”
That idea forms the basis of her new campaign with IHG Hotels & Resorts, “When the Host Needs Hosting,” aimed at giving “the people who are always looking after
everyone else the chance to sit back, switch off and be hosted for once,” according to a news release.
Ahead of its launch, Dimoldenberg spoke with USA TODAY about her favorite ways to travel, her love of a large hotel sink and what she does – and doesn't – pack.
How Amelia Dimoldenberg likes to travel
Dimoldenberg describes herself as “such a fan of hotels,” and has certain priorities when selecting a property.
“I would say number one is probably the bed, like the bed being really big – like the bed being as big as the room, probably,” she said. That’s followed by a large sink, a contrast to her small sink at home.
“Sometimes you want to lay everything out, and when you're at a hotel, it's so nice to put all your products out in the bathroom, and just feel like – when you have a really big bathroom, I think that's such a luxury,” she said. Room service and a pool are other pluses.
“And having a great restaurant, too, because sometimes you just want to have dinner at the hotel,” she added. “You know, you don't want to venture outside.”
She said she likes to get out and about when the timing is right, though. Dimoldenberg counts herself “lucky that I travel so much for work, and I get to see so many amazing cities, whether it's cities in America I travel to a lot like New York, L.A., or going places in Europe like Paris, and there I think that if I do have an afternoon off or an evening off, I'll definitely try the amazing local restaurants.”
In addition to a good food scene, she enjoys visiting places with nightlife and cultural activities. “I love going to art galleries, and so if a destination has an amazing art gallery then I'm sold,” she said.
On her own time, she looks for “somewhere that is hot, where the weather's going to be good.”
Swimsuits, fittingly, are among her packing must-haves, along with other practical items like drops to prevent dry eyes, and her wallet – which Dimoldenberg has forgotten on trips to the U.S., since she tends to use Apple Pay.
There are some items she doesn’t bring, however, after losing a beloved teddy bear during a trip to Los Angeles for the Oscars. “And now I just have to tell myself that he ran away to Hollywood because he wanted to be a star,” she said. “But really, it's devastating. So I definitely don't take anything sentimental, really, because I'll just leave it behind.”
Dimoldenberg – who once took a train trip across Europe – particularly enjoys getting to her destination by rail, but she’s not picky. “Whatever mode of transport I'm going to, as long as I'm arriving at an amazing IHG hotel, then that's all that matters to me,” she said.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Amelia Dimoldenberg doesn't like to leave the hotel on vacation
